The present invention satisfies the need of a daylighting system for structures of all types: a daylighting system that can be implemented without retying on solar radiation incident on the sides of those structures which requirement may be difficult to satisfy in crowded urban environments, and without requiring large openings in the conditioned envelopes of the structures which openings can result in thermal loss; a daylighting system that has the capability of providing solar heating when desired white also having the capability of limiting solar heat gain when desired; a daylighting system that avoids fire danger, minimizes interior glare, allows for independent and individualized control of light and heat in locations throughout the building; a daylighting system that minimizes the load on the air conditioning system during the cooling season; and a daylighting system that can be built in a range of sizes as appropriate to the thermal parameters of various climatic zones or to the heat and light needs of various sizes of structures. The embodiments of the present invention may be installed as new or retrofit systems in structures of all types, including but not limited to conventional and unconventional residential and commercial structures, trailers or mobile homes, modular houses and recreational vehicles.
Information relevant to attempts to address these problems can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,720,170; 6,201,643; and 6,341,041; which are not admitted to be prior art with respect to the present invention by its mention in this Background Section. It is desirable to have better apparatuses and/or methods than what is disclosed in each of the identified references.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,720,170 ('170) uses a tow-mounted primary collector, which is susceptible to being shadowed by other structures, whereas the embodiments of the present invention utilize either a high-mounted primary collector, or a separable, remotely deployable collector. In '170, a primary mirror is specified that may be flat, concave, or convex; whereas the embodiments of the present invention are limited to operating with concentrated light from a modified Cassegrainian optical system having two parabolic mirrors. In '170, a point-to-point system for routing light through light pipes (reflectorized glass pipes, various plastics, or brightened metallic tubes) and fiber optics is disclosed; whereas the embodiments of the present invention provide a much larger pool of light from which users can extract at will, thereby providing a means for varying the amount of light brought into the occupied space. In addition, '170 does not use diffusers, whereas some embodiments of the present invention use them.
Both U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,201,643 ('643) and 6,341,041 ('041) disclose and claim a daylighting system that resides entirety inside the building. In '643 and '041, the light collector is located on the side of the building, which is susceptible of shading in situations in which buildings or structures are close together, as in urban settings or in suburban cluster zoning; whereas the embodiments of the present invention utilize a roof-top collector or a separable collector, thereby providing a means for avoiding the aforementioned shading problems. In '643 and '041, a point-to-point system for routing light through hollow members is disclosed; whereas the embodiments of the present invention provide a much larger pool of light from which users can extract at will, thereby providing a means for varying the amount of light into the occupied space. In '643 and '041, the user has no control over the intensity or degree of light in the interior space; whereas the embodiments of the present invention provide the user with at least two mechanisms for controlling such intensity or degree, namely redirection or “pick-off” mirrors and movable shutter or shutters over the translucent materials in the wall which transmit the light into the interior. In '643 and '041, the size of the hollow members and their materials of construction is not specified, though the drawings indicate something like HVAC tubes; whereas the embodiments of the present invention utilize hollow members including but not limited to HVAC tubes, vacant shafts in the structure, and rectilinear boxes made of various materials such as metal, steel and/or wood.
The pertinent fields of the art follow:
International Classification: G02B 17/00.
U.S. Classification: 359/591